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Design & Technology

Intent

Have a knowledge of and be inspired by key designers, engineers, architects and chefs.
Design and make products that solve real and relevant problems.
Have a greater understanding of healthy eating and how to prepare healthy meals.

Our Design and Technology approach helps children adapt to a rapidly changing world by encouraging them to become curious about how things work and why they are there. We want pupils to be independent, creative problem solvers; to think as individuals and as part of a team. The children critically evaluate products and have an awareness of how designs help shape and impact on cultural capital. Children develop their self-belief and resilience as they design and make. Their skills will be transferable across the curriculum and transferable in everyday life.

Implementation

To ensure that we deliver our intention and cover all objectives set out in the National Curriculum, we follow the Design, Make and Evaluate structure. The DT lead undertakes learning walks, book-looks and staff/pupil voice to analyse DT teaching across school and to ensure consistency, coverage and progression. We follow the National Curriculum through the DT Associations projects on a page. This is linked to our Big Ideas to provide a broad, creative approach, which reflects a balanced programme of study. Bloom’s Taxonomy questions also allow the teachers to assess the depth of learning. Lessons are taught in a progressive sequence meaning that the children are building on prior knowledge and skills while being introduced to new ones.

Planning for Progression

Teachers plan high quality lessons linked to the Big Idea, ensuring all areas of the National Curriculum are covered. Lessons are taught in a progressive sequence meaning that the children are building on prior knowledge while slowly being introduced to new concepts.

Cross-Curricular Opportunities

Our children enjoy the cross-curricular approach to their learning, and DT learning opportunities often complement other areas of the curriculum. Using the whole school Big Ideas (for example ‘Out of this World’) incorporated a number of activities linked to the environment (such as designing ways of reusing recyclable items) and these DT projects dovetailed with other subjects such as science, art & design and PSHE.

Recording work

Children present their research and designs in a creative scrapbook style. For DT, this may be photographs, design drawings, annotations and written work linked to their Big Idea weekly question. Finished builds are photographed and video recorded (in the case of moving models). This helps to consolidate learning and answer the Blooms Question to determine their level of understanding.

Food Technology

Opportunities are provided (at school and through extra curricular activities) for preparing food, designing meals, cooking, and learning about nutrition and healthy eating.

Visits and Visitors

Where possible, we encourage children to study design through school visits and through encouraging local organisations to visit the school and work with the children.

Extra-curricular DT

We have developed extra Curricular projects through STEM week, which allow the children to further develop their Design & Technology skills outside the classroom. After school sewing club and cookery club give children additional opportunities to pursue interests and develop skills.

Support

DT is an inclusive subject but at times children can lack confidence in their ability. Support is provided by the class teacher, critical friends and a range of resources, in a safe, friendly and nurturing environment.

Impact

As designers children will develop skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood. Impact is measured by analysing the quality of the children’s work and answering Blooms Assessment answers throughout the year We use formative and summative assessment (through otrack teacher assessments) against national curriculum objectives and skills taught . We are continually checking the impact of teaching on learning, through lesson drop ins/observations, book and planning scrutinies and pupil and staff voices.

The result of our curriculum is:

for children to be passionate and excited by the designing and making of products including working with, preparing and tasting healthy food.
For children to be aware of past and present products in technology and who designed them.
Reflect on and evaluate products and technology, its uses and its impact.